Judge Stephanie Davis is one of two Michigan nominees nominated as part of a deal between the White House and Michigan’s Democratic Senators.  While the other nominee, Michael Bogren, was forced to withdraw due to Republican opposition, Davis has been widely approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee, refreshing given her left-of-center background.

Background

Davis was born Stephanie Renaye Dawkins in Kansas City Missouri in 1967.  Davis received a B.S. from Wichita State University in 1989 and her J.D. from the Washington University School of Law in 1992.^[1]

After graduation, Davis joined the Detroit office of Dickinson Wright PLLC.^[2]  In 1997, Davis joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan as a federal prosecutor.^[3]  In 2010, newly appointed U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade chose Davis to be Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney.^[4] 

In 2016, Davis was appointed as a U.S. Magistrate Judge in 2016 where she still serves.

History of the Seat

Davis has been nominated for a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.  This seat opened on October 26, 2016, when Judge Gerald Rosen moved to senior status.  With the vacancy opening with only a couple of months left in the Obama Administration, no nominee was put forward to fill it.

In July 2017, Davis applied for the vacancy with a selection committee by Michigan Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters.^[5]  Davis was recommended to the White House by the senators in December 2017.  After extensive negotiations, Davis was nominated on March 11, 2019.

Legal Career

Davis has held two primary positions in her pre-bench career.  From 1992 to 1997, Davis worked at the Detroit office of Dickinson Wright PLLC, where she focused largely on commercial litigation.  Then, from 1997 to 2016, Davis worked as a federal prosecutor, including as the Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney, the second in command to then-U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade, from 2010 to 2016.

Notably, Davis prosecuted Sohrab Shafinia, a Farmington doctor, for writing prescriptions for controlled substances in exchange for cash payments.^[6]  She also helped prosecute Detroit officials for taking bribes and kickbacks and conspiring to defraud retirees.^[7]

Political Activity

Davis’ political activity has exclusively been in support of Democrats.  For example, Davis served with the transition team of Detroit mayor Dennis Archer in 1993 and volunteered to conduct election protection for the Obama campaign in 2008.^[8]  She also gave $250 apiece to the Obama campaigns in 2008 and 2012.^[9]  Furthermore, Davis was a member of the American Constitution Society, an organization of left-leaning lawyers and law students, from 2008 and 2016, and served on the Board of the Detroit Chapter of the group between 2012 and 2015.^[10]

Jurisprudence

Davis has served as a U.S. Magistrate judge since her appointment in 2016.  In this role, she handles settlement, discovery, and makes recommendations on dispositive motions.  She also presides over cases where the parties consent.  Between 2016 and 2019, Davis presided over sixteen civil cases that proceeded to judgment.^[11]  Davis’s more prominent trials include a Computer Fraud Act case against a former employee who stole information before setting up a competitor,^[12] and a bench trial arising from a traffic collision at Fort Meade.^[13]  Additionally, in another matter, Davis denied summary judgment against Muslim plaintiffs who argued that they were denied calorically equivalent meals during their fasts for Ramadan.^[14]

Overall Assessment

While fellow Michigan nominee Bogren faced scrutiny for his legal advocacy, Davis has received bipartisan support in the Senate Judiciary Committee.  As such, one can predict a relatively comfortable confirmation for the experienced jurist.

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